Why isn’t the work being done over the summer?
There are several reasons why the project timeline is during the school year. The main reasons are:
• Design and estimation lead time
• Contractor Pool
• Project Pricing

The bond vote occurred in May of 2016, and bonds were then sold in the summer of 2016. From there, the preliminary design and cost estimation process began. The district worked with Miller-Davis (Construction Manager) and GMB (Architects and Engineers) to create the preliminary designs and the cost estimates. Given the desire of the district to complete as much work in the first series of bonds as possible, the district went through several series of initial design and estimation. When the final estimation came back below the allocated funds, GMB went to work to develop all of the drawings and specifications needed to bid the projects.

To prepare drawings and specifications for the $8,000,000 projects took hundreds of pages of specifications and dozens of drawings for each project.

There were 14 major bid categories in the project.
In discussions with Miller-Davis and GMB, our efforts were to maximize the tax payers’ money and ensure we receive the best bids possible. They recommended anything we could do to modify the schedule to bid the project when contractors are not fully booked during the summer. We made the decision to bid the project with a timeline beginning in the fall of 2017. The recommendation worked, and the bids came in below budget. The time spent on the multiple revisions preliminary design and cost estimations allowed to the district to maximize the funds available. Additionally, contractors expressed their interest and availability because the project started after all their summer work was completed.

What will be done to ensure student safety while construction is being conducted?
The District, Miller-Davis, and GMB all are focused on ensuring student, staff, visitor, and worker safety. Miller-Davis and GMB have extensive experience in conducting construction projects in occupied spaces. Miller-Davis has designed a site specific separation plan for each of the buildings. They will have an on-site construction superintendent while construction is being conducted. Miller-Davis has written safety plans for each contractor on-site.

Miller-Davis and the district will erect signage and fencing outside to prevent students and visitors from entering into the construction area. Inside, Miller-Davis will construct separation walls that physically separate students, staff and visitors from entering the areas of construction. Miller-Davis has developed plans to prevent construction traffic and activities during the student drop-off/pick-up times. Additionally, there will be specific times for deliveries and material shipments to avoid conflicts with school traffic.

Miller-Davis qualifies each contractor to be part of the project by reviewing their written safety plans, work related accident histories and their experience with school construction. Overall, the District, Miller-Davis and GMB have gone to great lengths to provide and promote the safest construction sites possible.

Why are the Locker rooms being remodeled in the spring of 2018?
In looking at the sports and physical education schedule and trying to have the least amount of impact on the operation of the high school, it was determined that beginning in the spring of 2018 presented the best option. The locker rooms will be available for the majority of sports that utilize them and for a good portion of the physical education classes before they are taken off-line for remodeling. The new locker rooms will be ready to go for the fall of 2018.

I thought the High School and NEMS were going to be remodeled?
They are. NEMS is the majority of the second series in the bond issue which will be issued in late 2018 or early 2019. The high school remodeling is in the third series of bonds which will be issued in late 2021 or early 2022. The bonds are being issued in series to save on interest costs to taxpayers.